Night Swimming
by Ari-chan
Summary: A song fic using REM's song Night Swimming, hence the title. Haruka takes a drive "down memory lane" with flashbacks of her life 8 years ago. Sadness echos in this story so get your bos of tissues now. R&R please.


Night Swimming Rated: PG-13 By: Ari-chan  
  
Notes and Disclaimers: So, as time goes on and my mind becomes more twisted so does my writing, in a way. Most of my writing is influenced by music- as is this one. Only I wanted to lyrics in it, it was hard to make this a song fic but I did it. The song is Night Swimming by REM and I highly suggest you find and listen to it, it is one of my all time fave. songs. I'm sure you'll enjoy it to.  
  
YOU NEED TO READ ALL OF THIS TO UNDERSTAND THE STORY!!! This is a sad fic, don't like to cry, or don't like sadness- don't read it. Haruka and Michiru met when they are 15 or 16, around then. Haruka is 31 when this starts, in the 8 years ago part they are both 23. Got it? After the first flashback you'll see this ~~~~ that means it's going back to Haruka in the car. -8- means it's going back to 8 years ago.  
  
Haruka, Michiru and all related characters belong to Naoko-sama, the song and title belong to REM.  
  
Read and review, please.  
  
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~Night swimming deserves a quiet night~  
  
Haruka ran her fingers through her hair as she passed another car. She let out a sad sigh. Today was the day she hated and dreaded the most. An anniversary, the anniversary she never wanted to come. At least, not this soon.  
  
She looked over to the dashboard.  
  
~The photograph on the dashboard, taken years ago  
  
Turned around backwards  
  
So the windshield shows  
  
Every streetlight reveals a picture in reverse~  
  
The picture there smiled back at her with friendly eyes. She remembered the day it had been taken. So long ago, painfully long ago. They had been so happy that day and in a flash it was gone. Almost like someone had hit a switch.  
  
~Still its so much clearer.  
  
I forgot my shirt at the waters edge  
  
The moon is low tonight~  
  
She let out a ragged sigh and fought to keep her tears at bay. Still they came and they rolled down her cheeks and she stared fiercely ahead at the road. Eight years ago when it happened. When they were both only twenty three.  
  
  
  
-8 years ago-  
  
~Night swimming deserves a quiet night. ~  
  
"Are you sure we can do this?"  
  
"Of course Haruka, or are you scared?" Michiru giggled as she slipped her shirt up over her head and dropped it to the sandy ground. She looked at Haruka with a glimmer in her eye as her hands went to her skirt.  
  
Haruka fought the blush that was creeping into her cheeks and coughed into her fist. "No, why would I be scared? I just think it'll be cold. That's all,"  
  
Michiru stepped close to her loved and started to unbutton her shirt.  
  
~I'm not sure all these people understand.  
  
It's not like years ago  
  
The fear of getting caught.~  
  
"It won't be cold. I promise,"  
  
"Okay, okay. I'll do it. But I'm taking my own clothes off," She stepped back as Michiru pouted. She crossed her arms in mock anger.  
  
"Fine,"  
  
When Michiru finished getting *herself* undressed she waded into the dark moonlit water. Haruka watched from the shore thinking how lucky she was. Michiru dove under the surface with out so much as a splash. Haruka finally dropped her last article of clothing and followed Michiru's footprints.  
  
Michiru resurfaced and smiled as she saw Haruka testing the water with her foot. She swam back over to where she could stand and walked over to the blonde. Haruka felt her jaw drop. Michiru was gorgeous to begin with but when you mixed that with water and the milky moonlight she was stunning. The water dripping off in droplets, strands of hair clung to her face, the tresses clinging to her bare shoulders, it reminded Haruka of the Birth of Venus.  
  
"Come on," She said softly and pulled Haruka toward her.  
  
The tall girl felt the water come up over her ankles and before she knew it she was nearly submerged. She sighed in contentment and looked up at the sky. The stars dotted it like earrings on a velvet backing. When she looked back Michiru wasn't there. She looked around, worried that something had become of her beloved. Suddenly she was under the water. When she came back up Michiru had a triumphant smile on her face.  
  
~The recklessness of water  
  
The cannot see me naked~  
  
"What was that for?"  
  
"You were being too serious, this is supposed to be fun,"  
  
Haruka shivered, the night air blew around her like a silk garment. "Maybe for you, I'm freezing,"  
  
"That's because you don't have any body fat," Michiru teased as she lightly pinched the blonde.  
  
"Oh, and like you do,"  
  
Michiru pretended to be hurt. "Are you saying that I'm too skinny?"  
  
"No. And you're not fat either so don't make fun of me,"  
  
"But if you were fat then I wouldn't have let you take your clothes off,"  
  
"Gee, thanks. I can really feel the love now,"  
  
Michiru wrapped her dripping arms around her lover's neck. She leaned in close and whispered gently, "You should, because you are,"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Haruka smiled sadly at the memory. Even after all this time the whole thing could play in her head like a movie. She remembered every detail of it. And it haunted her every waking moment.  
  
~These things they go away  
  
Replaced by every day~  
  
She'd been with three other people but no one could be her. All the relationships she had were short lived. The women just couldn't understand her the way She did. Haruka just couldn't let go. She had only loved one woman in her life and she knew it would never change.  
  
She drove past the apartment building and kept going. More memories flooding her mind.  
  
~Night swimming  
  
Remembering that night  
  
Septembers coming soon  
  
I'm pining for the moon~  
  
"Just let go Haruka," the words echoed in her mind. Spoken by her second lover, Yori. Together for a year and half Haruka had always known it wasn't going to work. "Why can't you just move on!" The other words that she heard everyday. Eri had yelled them before she left. They just didn't know how bad she wished she could move on. Her brain told her she couldn't live like this. But her heart wouldn't let her let go, it just wouldn't and Haruka couldn't.  
  
  
  
-8-  
  
"Haruka, there is a full moon tonight,"  
  
Haruka shrugged. "So?"  
  
"*So*," Michiru said as she swatted her lovers arms. "It's a good night for swimming."  
  
The blonde shook her head slightly. "Michi, love, you know my car is in the shop,"  
  
Michiru crossed her arms. "You still have your motorcycle you know," Haruka felt her eyebrow twitch as she realized there was no way out of this one.  
  
"All right, fine. Come on,"  
  
**~And what if there were two?  
  
Side by side in orbit  
  
Around the fairest sun  
  
The bright tide that ever drawn  
  
Could not describe night swimming~  
  
  
  
Afterward they lay on the shore in each others arms. They gazed up at the moon. Haruka ran her hand up Michiru's spine making the girl shiver. She smiled and sighed up at her lover.  
  
"Aren't you glad we came?"  
  
"Well, we could have done this at home…"  
  
"Done what?"  
  
"Lie here like this. Only of course it wouldn't have been after swimming," She looked down at Michiru wish a sly smile.  
  
"We can do that here too you know," Michiru replied with a giggled and a wink.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A sob finally escaped Haruka's lips. She pulled her car over next to the rock wall. She got out as she wiped tears away. Gazing out at the ocean she thought of how she would love to be out there. She took her shoes off and threw them in the back seat.  
  
At one time she would have never done that. But the love for her car had faded with the sadness of her life.  
  
She stepped onto the cool moon drenched sand and sighed as the wind blew through her hair.  
  
"Michiru," she began softly out loud. "How could you do this to me? Just leave me here without a reason why. Without so much as a good bye. Michiru, how cruel could you be?"  
  
~You I thought I knew you  
  
You I cannot judge  
  
You I thought you knew me  
  
This one laughing quietly beneath my breath.~  
  
Haruka removed her clothing as she had done with Michiru so many times before. She stepped into the waves and relaxed the washed over her feet. She waded out deeper and deeper before diving into the cold water.  
  
She closed her eyes as she floated on her back. Images bombarded her mind, but the picture on the dashboard smiled at her.  
  
~Nightswimming  
  
The photograph reflects  
  
Everystreet light a reminder~  
  
The moon stared at her and the ocean lulled her a sleep that she would never wake up from. She was nightswimming with Michiru again.  
  
~Nightswimming  
  
Deserves a quiet night  
  
Deserves a quiet night~  
  
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So? Wrote that all in one shot! Get it? At first I was going to have Michiru have left Haruka—note the "You I thought I knew you" line… right? But then I thought that would be mean and be against my beliefs ^^. But I like this fic, and I hope you did too. So review it please!!!  
  
Questions and comments can be sent to me at MichiTenoh36@aol.com, please put "fanfiction" as the subject or it will remain unopened. 


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